1 COMMITTEE REPORT 2 April 10, 2002 3 4 H. 4754 5 6 Introduced by Rep. Townsend 7 8 S. Printed 4/10/02--H. 9 Read the first time February 19, 2002. 10 11 12 THE COMMITTEE ON 13 INVITATIONS AND MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS 14 To whom was referred a Concurrent Resolution (H. 4754) to 15 urge the public and state agencies involved in traffic incident 16 management to enhance the flow of motor vehicle traffic and 17 reduce the danger of accidents along the State’s roadways, etc., 18 respectfully 19 REPORT: 20 That they have duly and carefully considered the same and 21 recommend that the same do pass: 22 23 RONALD N. FLEMING for Committee. 24

1 [4754-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 10 11 TO URGE THE PUBLIC AND STATE AGENCIES INVOLVED 12 IN TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TO ENHANCE THE 13 FLOW OF MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND REDUCE THE 14 DANGER OF ACCIDENTS ALONG THE STATE’S 15 ROADWAYS BY MAKING EVERY REASONABLE EFFORT 16 TO MOVE CERTAIN VEHICLES INVOLVED IN TRAFFIC 17 ACCIDENTS AND DISABLED VEHICLES FROM THE 18 STATE’S ROADWAYS. 19 20 Whereas, vehicles involved in collisions and disabled vehicles on 21 South Carolina’s roadways create a significant danger to the public 22 and a substantial hindrance to traffic flow when those vehicles 23 remain in the travel lanes of the roadway; and 24 25 Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representative’s Ad Hoc 26 Committee on Highway Safety recommends that drivers be 27 required to move damaged vehicles out of the travel lanes of a 28 roadway when possible; and 29 30 Whereas, Sections 56-5-1210 and 56-5-1220 of the South Carolina 31 Code of Laws require the driver of a vehicle involved in a collision 32 to stop the vehicle without obstructing traffic more than is 33 necessary; and 34 35 Whereas, there is a commonly-held misconception that South 36 Carolina law requires a driver involved in a collision to leave the 37 vehicle where it rests after the collision; and 38 39 Whereas, representatives of the South Carolina Department of 40 Transportation, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, 41 the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental 42 Control, local law enforcement agencies, emergency medical

1 [4754] 1 1 services, the insurance industry, the trucking industry, the towing 2 industry, and legal professionals have reached a consensus that 3 public education concerning the importance of moving disabled 4 vehicles and vehicles involved in a collision form the travel lane 5 would enhance the safety and convenience of the traveling public 6 in South Carolina. Now, therefore, 7 8 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate 9 concurring: 10 11 That the members of the General Assembly of the State of South 12 Carolina, by this resolution, urge the public and all agencies 13 involved in traffic incident management to promote actions and 14 public education that will result in the quick clearance of South 15 Carolina’s roadways in order to reduce any danger to the public 16 and hindrance to the traffic flow. Moreover, if a disabled vehicle 17 or vehicle involved in a collision is obstructing traffic, the 18 members of the General Assembly urge the driver or authorized 19 emergency response personnel to make every reasonable effort to 20 move the vehicle so as not to block the regular flow of traffic, 21 provided that this relocation does not endanger any persons or 22 cause the release of any hazardous substances which could cause 23 harm to the public health or the environment. 24 25 Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to 26 the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public 27 Safety, the Department of Health and Environmental Control, and 28 the Department of Insurance. 29 ----XX----

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